Neverending Notes
by AcuteHedgehog
Summary: Story is being rewritten and transferred to the account BubbleFettTea.
1. Chapter 1

Writer's note: This story is currently rated 'R' for future content, but is subject to change depending upon how I feel the story would best be played out in later chapters. The only major change is to the main character's name; typically she is Lillian, but in my game she is Ceres after the Roman Goddess of agriculture. There will also be minor changes to outfits and events, but nothing terribly drastic.

Polite critique and commentary would be greatly appreciated. As much as this story /is/ for me to get it out of my head, it is also for people to hopefully enjoy. This being said, any feedback I may receive will be taken into consideration as I write. If I remember, that is. My memory is unfortunately a bit poor.

With that out of the way, and with the assurances that I do not own or claim to own Harvest Moon (aside from a copy of the game on which this story is based), I will now leave you to your reading. Please enjoy.

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><p>She shook her head as she sat up, one hand rubbing at her eyes while the other braced her. Once the sleep was gone from her eyes, she glared at the owl on its perch. Pleased to see her attention was on him, he hooted happily. Slipping her legs from under the covers, she rose. Mumbling about obnoxious feathered rat catchers, she padded over to the window. She noted the drops of rain on the glass. This meant she wouldn't have to water her modest crop of soybeans. It also meant that she'd have some animals upset at not being able to graze in the pasture.<p>

"Ah well, Merlin." she muttered. The owl, having been offended by her comments, screeched at her and turned its back. Shrugging, she continued talking under her breath. "They'll just have to be content with fodder. I'll be sure to give them some treats later to make up for it. Speaking of food, let's get our own breakfast."

Hours later, with the animals fed and brushed, the cow milked and the eggs collected, she carefully made the trek over the mountain. Nearing Bluebell, she sped up a bit, wanting to get her quests completed as quickly as possible. She smiled and hummed softly as she passed the fence of Jessica's store, lost in her thoughts. A voice shook her to her senses as it called her name.

"Good afternoon, Ceres!," Ash called. He leaned against the fence, a large smile plastered across his face as he stood sheltered under his umbrella. Ceres paused, startled. "Oops, sorry for disturbing you like that. I just was wondering if you wanted to hang out for a while if you have the time."

She hesitated, really just wanting to get her tasks accomplished so she could go about with her silly plan. "Sorry, Ash. I really need to get stuff done today. I'll stop by the shop later to bring you the blueberries for Cheryl that you wanted, though. Once I'm done with my business in town I plan to go pick some. They're better when they're fresh."

Ash's smile faltered a bit until he caught himself. "That's great, Ceres. Thanks so much for that. You know how Cheryl gets when she wants something..." he trailed off, his smile slipping again. 'Well, I'll see you later then, I guess. Bye."

She watched as he quickly turned and walked towards the barn, She was puzzled by his behavior. Knowing that no good would come of trying to distract herself with her confusion, she shrugged it off and focused her attention back to the task at hand. She dashed into the cafe to hand over the fish Cam had asked for then had a chat with Laney about her request. Hours later, a few more requests wrapped up, and the rain starting to fall a little harder she carefully made her way back to Konohana. She waved to Kana as she passed him walking into town, chuckling as he tripped while attempting to wave enthusiastically back at her.

As she finally neared Town Hall, Ceres ran to and up the steps, slipping quietly through the doors. She shivered as the warmth of the building enveloped her. She realized then how cold and wet it actually was outside, and how damp she'd become. "Damp is almost an understatement." she mumbled as she did her best to brush water droplets from her clothing with her free hand. Fortunately her satchel wasn't too affected. She carefully withdrew the hand that had resided there since she'd entered the path to Konohana earlier. In it she held the small dish that had been the reason for her journey into town.

Biting her lower lip nervously, she rounded the corner and stopped in front of the last door in the hallway. Mikhail's door. Her mind drifted back to the music festival. _She had stood towards the back, having arrived late. Not paying much attention as Ina introduced the musicians, she waved at Reina and Nori. Suddenly, the music began, and all of her attention was immediately drawn to the stage. An elderly lady was at the piano, but her main focus was on the tall man lovingly playing the violin. The light glinted off his somewhat shaggy platinum hair, and something about his intense look of passionate concentration as he played intrigued her. She swallowed as her eyes scanned over him; he was as gorgeous as he was talented. Suddenly he seemed to fix his eyes on her, his eyes a deep, beautiful grey. She inhaled sharply and her breath caught in her chest , unnerved by his intent gaze. When he blinked she took the opportunity to quickly leave the room._ Shaking her head to clear her mind, Ceres took a deep breath and with one shaky hand rapped her knuckles against the wood.

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><p>Note: THAT IS CORRECT; I HAVE COMPLETELY REWRITTEN THIS CHAPTER. Yes, it is shorter now, I know, I am <em>sorry<em>.

I started a new save file to try to get the juices flowing again, and obviously it worked. I mean, year and a half hiatus and then _bam!_ a third chapter. After finally figuring out a bit more about where I wanted the story to go, I realized that a rewrite of the beginning was absolutely necessary. Hope that the folk who read the first version of this chapter do not mind too much, and that those who just now stumbled upon this story enjoyed themselves.

Ta-ta, lovelies.


	2. Chapter 2

He stared out the window as he sat on the small couch in the guest room where he was staying, his long legs stretched out before him and his feet propped up on the table. His elbow rested on the arm of the couch, the tips of his fingers against his temple as he reflected. He closed his eyes, doing his best to conjure up every detail of the Music Festival. Specifically, the young farm girl that the mayor had felt it so important he meet just days before.

_He had removed his violin from its case, carried it reverently onto the stage. Recited the memorized speech, the one he'd repeated for years. Began to play and lost himself in the music as he always does. Then, as he always does, scanned the room to see if everyone was enjoying the music as much as he was. For some reaso__n__ though, he hadn't seemed to be able to remove his eyes from Ceres once he'd spotted her. She had stood towards the back, her large eyes gazing at him as if he was the only person in the room. He had stared at her intently, returning the focused look. When she noticed his attention, he saw her gasp. He'd blinked, and she was gone. _

A sudden gentle knocking on his door pulled Mikhail out of his memory. Thankful, he stood to go answer it. "I have to do my best to get her out of my mind. There's no reason for her to occupy it. The festival is over, I'll enjoy my yearly vacation from the concert scene, then leave as always. All I have to do is avoid her. Soon things will be as they should," he muttered as he reached the door. Taking a moment to compose himself, he turned the knob and opened the door only to find the very cause of his mental unrest.

Her hair was held back by a blue hair band with an adorable heart clip, leaving her face clear save for her bangs. Her eyes were staring at the floor, and he felt momentarily disappointed that he couldn't see them. Clearing his throat and his thoughts, he stepped to the side. "Please, come in. Sit for a while in the warmth. I can see that you're nearly soaked through."

She looked up at him shyly with a small smile, passing him to go sit on a couch. The smell of the rain and the crisp, sweet scent of spearmint followed her as she went by him. He unconsciously inhaled deeply, enjoying the clean, natural smell of her. Much better than those women who felt the need to douse themselves in sickeningly sweet perfumes. As he exhaled, he closed the door and walked back in to the sitting area. He sat back down on the couch he'd been on earlier, and leaned forward.

"Good evening, Ceres. Are you warmer now? It seemed terribly chilly when I went for my walk today." He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his fingers steepled together. His glasses slid down his nose, but he didn't bother to push them back up; he could still see her perfectly well, looking small and nervous across from him, her hands in her lap. He spotted what seemed to be a dish clasped in them, and he cocked an eyebrow as he regarded it. She followed his gaze.

"Oh! Yes, thank you very much. It was terribly kind of you to invite me in,' she said. Her voice was soft, hushed, melodious. It was pleasing to listen to her speak. She sat straighter and placed the item from her lap on the table between them. "I didn't know if you had had dinner yet, and I had heard it was your birthday. So, I felt it only right to present you with a gift to celebrate this day, and to also better welcome you to Konohana." With that being said, she reached with one hand into the satchel at her waist and pulled out a pair of chopsticks. She set them on the table and pushed the bowl forward a bit. "I had heard that you liked sashimi, so I prepared some for you. I hope that you enjoy it, and...well, happy birthday Mikhail," she finished with an unsure smile and a delicate shade of pink coloring her cheeks.

He sat back in surprise, then ran a hand through his hair as he did his best to hold back a blush. He was touched; he couldn't recall when it was last that someone had taken the time to do something like this for him. Leaning forward again, Mikhail slowly took the small dish and removed the lid, then reached for the chopsticks. He pulled out a piece of the sashimi and slowly ate it. Realizing how hungry he was after the first piece, he quickly finished off the bowl. He glanced up at Ceres, and gave her a bashful grin.

"I suppose I was hungrier than I earlier believed myself to be. Forgive me for ignoring you," he said as he laid the chopsticks down and picked the lid up, snapping it back on the bowl. He set it down and pushed it towards the girl before him, who took it with a pleased look on her face.

"Really, I don't mind. I'm just happy that you enjoyed it." She rose, tucking the bowl back into her bag. "If you'll excuse me now though, I'm afraid that I had best head home and get to bed. Sorry for showing up unannounced and taking up your time. I just wanted to do something nice for you today."

Mikhail rose and hurriedly strode to the door to open for her. She stopped in front of him, and gave a small bow. "I hope you have a pleasant night, Ceres, and thank you for your gift. It was very nice," he ended awkwardly, unsure of what to say. While he hadn't exactly been sheltered when younger, he hadn't really been socialized well outside of the professional concert crowd. Casual conversations were foreign to him.

As he stared down at the girl before him, he realized just how tiny she was. He fleetingly wondered if she would even come up to his collarbone were he to embrace her, when he saw her hand raise. She lifted it up, hesitated, then slowly and gently used her index finger to push his glasses up higher on his nose. When she lowered her hand before pulling it back, the tip of her finger lightly trailed down his nose before it grazed his lips. Mikhail suppressed a tiny sound of longing, but not a shiver of pleasure. She clamped the hand she'd just pulled back over her mouth, a blush gracing her features. With a mumbled apology, she turned and bolted, leaving Mikhail to wonder what had just happened.

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><p>Writer's Note: It took me a while to get this chapter done. For that, I apologize. I'm fighting off a relapse, so I've been a bit out of sorts. Hopefully it will blow over soon.<p>

Despite all that, I ended up fairly content with this chapter. I hope you were as well. However, if you found it to be lacking, do know that I will try better next time. Cross your fingers for me!

W.N. 2.0: CHAPTER REWRITTEN!


	3. Chapter 3

She curled into a ball under her covers, the cat snuggling tight into her chest and the dogs taking up the rest of her bed. Outside a storm raged, the weather so severe it drove her usually stoic canines into behaving like giant furry babies. Fingertips gently comforting the shivering cat in her arms, Ceres sighed and blinked back tears and memories.

After the awkward moment with Mikhail, she had done the best she could to avoid him. If there was a request on the board from him, she would complete it and leave the items for him at the counter of the town hall. Her claim that she was too busy to deliver it in person was believable, though, as she was. The addition of new livestock had required that she get Pierce, Oliver and Lilah to help out. Thanks to them, getting the chickens, cows and sheep out required very little effort for which she was grateful.

Another roll of thunder shook the small cottage. Detaching the shaken Pierce from her night clothes, she set him on the pillow and slid out of bed. Grabbing a box of matches, she lit a candle and carried it with her to the kitchen. Sleep would not come easily to her tonight, so she might as well do something productive until it did. Ceres set about making a pot of tea, and while it brewed got down her favorite mug. She hummed softly to herself as the water boiled, and inhaled deeply as the sweet aroma soothed her.

A half an hour later, she was lounging on her bed sipping tea as she read a dog-eared, tattered paperback. Though it may have been intended for younger readers, _Howl's Moving Castle_ was a treasured possession that she read every chance she could. True, those chances were few and far between now, yet she did her best to sneak in the odd moment. Suddenly she yawned, blinking rapidly to try to clear her blurring vision. With a resigned sigh, she set her book aside and took the mug to the sink, then drifted wearily back to her bed. Collapsing into it and throwing the blankets over her, she blew out the candle. With the sound of the storm slowly fading, she drifted off to sleep wondering how Mikhail was faring...

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><p>All I can say is...<em>finally! <em>Too much nonsense going on with my end of things, not going to bore you with it, but I will say it involves the fact that I am, indeed, a cripple. Also yes, I know, this chapter is _so_ short, and I am _so_ sorry! I just felt that those few who followed this story in the beginning needed something to let them know I was still alive and still going to write this.

Chapter four is in the works now, I swear it. Just going through and touching things up in the first two chapters to make it work for the plans I have _finally_ come up with for how this will go.


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